ATG NEWS RELEASE: Attorney Goeneral announces indictment of Donovan D. Soto for child pornography
Posted on Dec 8, 2016 in Latest Department News
HONOLULU – Attorney General Doug Chin announced today that Donovan D. Soto has been indicted for two counts of promoting child abuse in the second degree and one count of promoting child abuse in the third degree for disseminating and possessing images and videos of child sexual abuse.
Attorney General Chin said of the indictment: “Our office has prosecuted four people for child pornography charges this year. This is a heinous offense and we will continue to seek out and prosecute anyone engaging in this destructive behavior.”
Soto is accused of possessing and disseminating images of children being sexually exploited, including possession of over 94 movie files, with 58 of the files depicting children under the age of twelve. Nine of the files depicted children being bound or tortured. The investigation was conducted by the Hawaii Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force in the Attorney General’s office in conjunction with Homeland Security Investigations.
Soto is a 53-year old man with one prior conviction for assault in the third degree. An Oahu grand jury indicted him for promoting child abuse in the second degree, a class B felony punishable by up to ten years in prison, and promoting child abuse in the third degree, a class C felony punishable by up to five years in prison. Bail is set at $11,000.00 and a bench warrant has been issued for Soto’s arrest.
Soto is presumed innocent unless and until he is found guilty of the charges beyond a reasonable doubt.
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For more information, contact:
Joshua A. Wisch
Special Assistant to the Attorney General
Phone: (808) 586-1284
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @ATGHIgov